Medico-legal aspect of amphetamine-related deaths

Karol Kula; Sebastian Rojek; Martyna Maciów-Głąb; Paweł Kopacz; Małgorzata Kłys

doi:10.5114/amsik.2014.47746

eISSN: 1689-1716
ISSN: 0324-8267

Archiwum Medycyny Sądowej i Kryminologii/Archives of Forensic Medicine and Criminology

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2/2014
vol. 64

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abstract:

Original paper

Medico-legal aspect of amphetamine-related deaths

Karol Kula

,

Sebastian Rojek

,

Martyna Maciów-Głąb

,

Paweł Kopacz

,

Małgorzata Kłys

Arch Med Sąd Kryminol 2014; 64 (2): 76–101

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5114/amsik.2014.47746

Online publish date: 2014/12/30

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The subject of the work included 41 cases of death in which amphetamine was involved as the direct or indirect cause. Identification and determination of xenobiotics in blood samples collected from post-mortem cases were performed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry with electrospray ionisation (HPLC-ESI-MS-MS). Only for two cases was the cause of death amphetamine poisoning. In most of the investigated cases the death was caused by poisoning due to complex amphetamine and other psychoactive substances (e.g. opiates, benzodiazepines, cocaine). In other cases, multi-organ damage (fall from a height, traffic accident), a puncture wound and wound incised, drowning, or asphyxiation by hanging were reported. It can be explained as risky, murderous, or suicidal actions of people who were under the influence of amphetamines. The presented paper focuses on the interpretation of amphetamine concentration in blood samples from the perspective of direct or indirect cause of death.

keywords:

Medico-legal aspect of amphetamine-related deaths

Karol Kula , Sebastian Rojek , Martyna Maciów-Głąb , Paweł Kopacz , Małgorzata Kłys

amphetamine, HPLC-ESI-MS-MS, cause of death, casuistry, medico-legal opinions

Karol Kula

,

Sebastian Rojek

,

Martyna Maciów-Głąb

,

Paweł Kopacz

,

Małgorzata Kłys